Binds of Bridges
by Yoshizawa Ayumu
Summary: Shinpachi's sister who had went missing for a year has finally returned. Things aren't the same as before. A more complicated plot unravels as Akika struggles with her relationship with those she cares for. • "If I have to wait for an eternity to share another life with you, I would. So...please engrave me in your soul." • "Don't let go! I beg of you...!"
1. Character Information

**Character Profile**

 **Name:** Nagakura Akika 秋香 (Autumn Fragrance)

 **Age:** 20

 **Gender:** Female

 **Appearance:**

\- Jet black hair tied in a low ponytail with stray strands framing her face.

\- Fair skin with forest green hued eyes.

\- Dull blue kimono shirt paired with a pale yellow hakama pants.

 **Weapons:**

\- Wakizashi and katana

\- Throwing knives

 **Personality:**

\- Sarcastic and quick-witted

\- Enjoys sexual innuendos

\- Appreciates sleep

\- Tends to not meddle or interfere with other's affairs but will be brutally honest when required

\- Knows when to play around and when to be serious

 **Family:**

\- Nagakura Shinpachi as her brother.

 _\- More will be revealed throughout the story._

 **Quotes:**

\- "I know I'm good looking. No need to be so forceful in bed, hm?"

\- "We move like the wind.. easy and carefree without a care. When the wind stops, we sleep."

\- "Are you dumb or what? Grow up! No one will be around to protect you if you continue to be a weakling like that."


	2. Chapter 1

**I do not own any Hakuouki characters. Only Akika and my plot.**

* * *

3rd P.O.V

A shallow sigh escaped her lips as she walked along the deserted streets in the late night. The stench of alcohol breath invaded her nostrils while she raked her fingers through her long black locks. The female had just come from the nearby red light district, enjoying the drinks she had — although not so much with the physical touches of the geishas and maikos. Not that they knew she was a female to begin with, she smirked to herself.

Akika tugged the hood of her cloak over her head as a gust of harsh wind blew against her frame. She could faintly hear a sharp screech followed by the sound of a sharp blade dragged along the wall, the sounds emerging from the alley. Her green orbs narrowed at the alley as she had felt an ominous aura radiating from that area. If she focused harder, she would hear short labored breaths and soft pleads. Exhaling quietly, Akika pinched the bridge of her nose and threaded quietly to the scene. She could feel the dull throbbing from downing far too many cups of saké. Having to investigate right after a good night of drinking was not exactly how she had imagined.

The stench of alcohol was instantly overpowered by the disgusting stench of blood. Her green eyes took a cold glance at the corpse that laid pitifully at the entrance of the alleyway after being stabbed countless of times. High on alert, she caught a glimpse of shadows moving across the wall. Cautiously, her left hand gripped onto the hilt of her katana as she crouched over and stealthily approached the shadowy figures. Akika caught a brief glimpse of a light blue fabric coated with spots of red, presumably from the blood spilled earlier.

Akika's P.O.V

Why do interesting events always occur when I'm not fully sober? I cursed at my nonexistent luck, making a slight click with my tongue. Crouching down in a steady position behind a wall, my green orbs peered over to gauge the situation at hand. I pursed my lips at the appearance of the figure making the creepy noise with the tip of his stained blade. Strangely enough, this figure is wearing the same light blue haori as the corpse wore. If that's the case, they should probably be on the same team, right? My eyebrows furrowed slightly, dismissing the possibility of the man ahead being responsible for the death although a wave of unease and high alert flooded my body's senses.

My eyes narrowed at the quivering body facing the front of the haori-donned male. It could be scene of revenge here but…. I could not resist sweatdropping at the appalling sight of a weak female with large doe-like eyes holding her sword in the wrong manner. It's atrocious! I silently groaned in frustration and held my palm to my forehead, shaking my head in dismal. Definitely not the someone who is capable of killing that corpse. "Definitely too stupid to be a spy, judging from her looks." I unconsciously muttered to myself. Unfortunately enough, the man who raised his blade in preparation to slay down the trembling figure paused and turned to make eye contact with me.

A feeling of dread washed over me as I caught sight of his predatory and deranged pair of red orbs while his unsettling grin widened. Fuck me. I hesitantly and awkwardly laughed, standing up straight since there was no need for me to conceal my presence anymore. The male slowly tilted his head while keeping his gaze on me, his smile not dropping an inch. Talk about creepy and sore cheeks.

I sheepishly gave a grin and raised my left hand as a greeting, in attempt to slide my way out of this mess. "Hey there. I was just..lost. Do you know where's the nearest bakery?" Unfortunately — although expected — the male simply walked over in my direction as hair-raising giggles escaped his curved lips. I take a step back, my eyes glancing momentarily at the young female who was curling into a ball. A slight glint from a blade entered my visage as I skillfully unsheathed my katana and blocked the attack from the white haired male. "Geez. No need to be aggressive, yknow? It's cool if you don't know where the bakery is. I mean..I doubt it will be open at this time aha." Apparently, instead of calming the mental male, it agitated him further. So much for trying to reason things out, I scowled at the 'enlightenment' received from a suspicious monk wannabe.

3rd P.O.V

"Well, not that I care for monks and their beliefs. It's just a crap load of rubbish, don't you agree?" The female hummed in amusement which was then followed by an inhumane screech from the attacker who collapsed on the ground after being stabbed in the heart. "I'm glad that we are on the same page." Akika's lips curved slightly and whistled an upbeat tune, flicking the blood off her blade and onto the wall. Her green eyes twitched when the transformation of white hair fading into a brown shade entered visage. She knew that something was mental with the new corpse but not to the point of a change in physical appearance.

"Chizuru!" Akika stiffened at the sound of impending footsteps and anxious voices. She took a glance at the trembling female behind her, assuming that the voices were calling out for her. Her hand gripped onto the hilt of her katana as an annoyed sigh left her lips. Akika was not particularly interested in saving this 'Chizuru' girl nor putting up another round of fight with this new group in case they misunderstand her position. Honestly, this was not part of her planned schedule. It was supposed to be her happily going back to her temporary shelter after a night of partying. But no, life just enjoys inserting an episode of chaos a day. The coldness of a blade roughly pressed against her neck cut off her silent grumbles. "Who are you and how much have you seen?" The ebony haired female glanced to her side in boredom, not caring if the blade dug into her skin and blood seeping through the wound. Her dull yet alert green orbs caught a glimpse of the male from the blade's reflection, an eyebrow raised.

"Honestly..if this is what you get for saving someone, that's why no one cares." The female bitterly mumbled to herself, cursing herself for being too caught up with her thoughts before making her escape. Clicking her tongue, she lazily pushed the blade away, not bothering to take heed of the hostile gaze on her form. Akika tilted her head and faced her interrogator with a lack of interest, finding two others standing next to him. Her green hues eyed the stoic looking male before her — serious looking, left-handed, side ponytail. Her eyes trailed over to scan the other two males, profiling them quickly — one with red hair and wielded a spear while protectively shielding that girl, and the other was rather tensed and aggressive. Her lips quirked up slightly at the identity of the last male who had gritted his teeth upon the sight of her musing. "Don't move! Move and we'll cut you down." His bright blue eyes narrowed as he took an attack position.

It was tensed and none made movement, just three pairs of steely gazes staring at a pair of unbothered green hues while the petite female nervously glanced at both sides. An amused snicker broke the silence which the four other stiffened and gritted their teeth. "My my. This is truly interesting. I was right to have traveled all the way here, knowing that I would find some fun here." Akiko hummed lightheartedly and pulled back her cloak hood, revealing a better view of her face. Lets fight till death, Shin-nii, my dearest brother."

Silence followed after her suggestion before they blanched loudly, "Brother!?"

* * *

 _Hi everyone! It's nice to see all of you again! And yes, this is my umpteenth time I have revamped this story and honestly it is never the same (I wonder why too)._

 _Remember to review this story if you wish to be a kind soul and lend a hand. And if you like this story then uh..like it. :)  
_

 ** _©YoshizawaAyumu2019_**


	3. Chapter 2

**I do not own any Hakuouki characters. Only Akika and my plot.**

 _This chapter will occur in the timeline after the raid on Ikedaya. That means Chizuru is already a part of the Shinsengumi and they are all aware of the trio onis existence._

* * *

 **Scene: In the Shinsengumi Headquarters**

3rd P.O.V

"Itai _[pain]_ itai itai!" The young brunette male yelped, only to receive a stern glare directed from the pair of green hues and tightening of her grip on his shoulder. "….k-kowai _[scary]_..!" The female sighed for the umpteenth time since she had met the three males and petite disguised female in the alley. Professionally bandaging up the injured shoulder with a fresh clean cloth and tied up firmly, Akika simply slapped Heisuke on his bare back — to which she simply received another yelp from the male in front of her.

"When will you ever learn, dear child?" Akika rolled up the excess bandages neatly and placed them back inside the medical basket, along with the other tools used — sanitized. "Within a span of one year, I would expect you to be less reckless and use your ears more. Then again, I had also expected you to not grow up that much." The ebony haired female crossed her arms, facing the offended male with a mocking gaze. It didn't hurt her to amuse the younger male by listening to his excuses.

* * *

 ** _Earlier that day…_**

3rd P.O.V.

Chizuru could not comprehend what exactly was going on. The captains she knew — even the commanders — were just looking stunned beyond words. Whereas the stranger that they had supposedly captured earlier — Chizuru's brown orbs trailed towards the subject mentioned — was simply leaning back on her palms, resting a relaxed position while sharply observing the layout of the meeting room.

Just a quick flashback: After the ebony-haired female accepted the death duel and later revealing an astonishing fact that she was related to Shinpachi, the said male had nearly dropped his sword and reduced the distance between himself and the supposed sibling of his. It was pretty dramatic when the large male had cupped the green hued female's face, his bright blue eyes desperately soaking in her features. Anyways, skipping that, basically all of them brought Akika back to their headquarters with Shinpachi tightly gripping onto Akika's wrist while the other two were lost in their thoughts.

The petite female chewed on her lips, her brown orbs trailing back to the relaxed figure. She could not bare to imagine herself being able to be so relaxed and unaffected by the tensed atmosphere, especially when she thought back to her previous first meeting in this room. Now that was something she wouldn't want to repeat, Chizuru flinched at the memory and withheld her shudders. Then again, this person in question mentioned that Shinpachi was their brother. Chizuru was really curious of Akika, her gaze unable to leave the other's form as she silently admitted that there was something about this stranger's aura that captures her attention — and apparently, everyone else.

"It's been a while," the much older looking male sitting at the front finally opened his mouth, grabbing Chizuru's attention as well as the ebony-haired female. "Nagakura Akika." Her green hues lit up in amusement as her body leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm which was supported by her elbow resting upon the thigh of her crossed legs. Her lips quirked into a cheeky smile, "How cold. Calling me by my full name, that is. Have we not have a better relationship than this, Kondou-sama? It has been a year after all." Chizuru's ears perked up at the mention of their commander's name. Not once was a word breathed out ever since the beginning when this person was brought in, not even basic introductions. "A-ah..! That's not it, Akika-chan! I didn't mean for you to misunderstand." Kondou was flustered enough to wave his hands in attempt to not offend Akika who had simply laughed it off as a joke.

"We thought you were killed." A sharp voice cut in, gaining the attention from both the commander and Akika. "We received no news from you at all." The purple hued male spoke up, staring straight at the green hues. "We had sent Yamazaki-san and Shimada-san out in search for you but returned with not a trace of you." The male with glasses leaned forward, continuing on, "And yet you are here, Akika-kun. Suddenly back."

* * *

Akika's P.O.V.

"Ah..uptight as usual, Hijikata-san and Sannan-san. I never knew you two suddenly became so close to the point of continuing each other's sentences." I let out an airy laugh, relieving the tension in my shoulders. "And here I thought that you guys would be glad to meet me again after so long." A playful grin crept onto my face, wriggling my eyebrows suggestively. Both Hijikata and Sannan simply stared at me stoicly and unimpressed, earning an annoyed sigh. They really haven't changed at all, I mentally humored myself.

Knowing that the two — screw that, the entire room wouldn't let me off so easily, I guess I better clear things up before they use other means to gain information. Unfortunately, not in the sexual way that I would prefer. Boo.

Sitting up straight, I placed on a poker expression and wiped off any traces of playful behavior. "I apologize for the late report. After that day when you had sent me out to investigate and gather more information, there were a few…situations that occurred which led to my disappearance. I will explain in-depth as to what those _situations_ were exactly but right now, I have more important business and information to discuss." Reaching into my sleeves, my slender fingers grasped onto a crisp envelope and pulled it out to be placed on the floor, then pushing it towards the higher-ups.

* * *

3rd P.O.V.

Kondou picked up the envelope and opened it, taking out the slips of paper that were encased inside and promptly unfolded all of them. Ensuring that Kondou and Hijikata were analyzing the documents she provided, Akika continued, "I've been going around, with the identity as a traveller, and gathered a few information from those lackeys." She pointed at a smaller sized paper, directing their attention over to a profile. "Sakamoto Ryoma. The second son of a low-ranking gōshi _[country samurai]_ — his family being an established branch of the wealthy Saitani clan and thus well off despite the low stipend they received as gōshi. Known to have the anti-shogunate sentiment as well, ' _Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians'_." Her eyes glanced to the side to watch the other captains being confused. "I understand he was not someone I was sent out to watch out initially but as I went around the area, I heard that he had met Takasugi Shinsaku and a few other leaders of the Chōshū."

"Takasugi Shinsaku?" A voice drawled out and Akika simply glanced over at the narrowed green eyes of the male. "He's one of those with influence within the Chōshū clan huh." The ebony haired female nodded and turned her attention back to the leaders.

"Exactly. With Sakamoto Ryoma, an imperial loyalist, meeting up with the Chōshū, it is not something we should take upon lightly. It is very suspicious, especially when I heard about the entire Ikedaya affair from the streets. It was a rather heated discussion by the way. I didn't know that our style have become more flamboyant, for the lack of a better word."

Kondou and Hijikata's faces were hardened as they stared at the information detailing all the past interactions of the figures mentioned. "We will have to pay them a visit and nab them all at once." Kondou concluded and looked up in approval at the female with green eyes, a slight twinkle in his eyes as a slight smile curled on his lips. The said female simply bowed slightly then straightened her back again. "I've trailed after his lackeys and Sakamoto himself. He is a frequent customer at the Akebono Tei teahouse. I've went in as a customer to inquire a little from the geishas and maikos. Heard that they would be graced by his visits nearly every week."

"When is the next time he will visit?" A cold, steely voice questioned. A little suspicious and doubtful from all the juicy information easily delivered into their hands. Can't really blame this demon vice-commander, can we?

"Don't know. Not that I can get much from geishas without being suspected. There are ears everywhere." Akika took no heed of the wary glare sent her way, unaffected and unsurprised. "His visits are not consistent. But it would either be tonight or tomorrow night. He wasn't there last night."

"Yamazaki and Shimada, the both of you head down to the Akebono Tei teahouse. I want you two to keep an eye for any suspicious figures or activities." The males that were called upon bowed their heads in acknowledgement and wasted no time in leaving for their new mission. Kondou then turned his attention to the remaining captains. "The rest of you, prepare yourselves for tonight. We will leave tonight." Kondou instructed. The red-haired male echoed in confusion, "Just us? Should we not use our full force?"

The commander shook his head at the suggestion, "We have already suffered plenty of injuries from the Ikedaya raid. We also do not have concrete evidence for the purpose of these meetings. With our position not being too well-received, to arrest someone unjustified will only increase distrust so we will need to do this in secrecy. Remember, we can't wear our haoris." Kondou trained his eyes back onto the female and nodded at her, "Although, I would like to let you know that your haori is still there. Welcome back, Akika-chan."

"I'm back." A wisp of smile featured on her lips, her orbs regaining a shimmer as she took a glance at the other captains before winking in their direction. A pair of arms sneakily curled around her waist and pulled her back to meet a firm chest, warm breath hitting against her ear as Akika resisted a shiver from the close proximity. "I thought you died before I could kill you, Aki-chan. I look forward to killing you. So reserve yourself for me and no one else." The female just rolled her eyes and shrugged the green-eyed male away, "Be it back then or now, you still won't get to kill me, Sou-kun."

"Imouto-" Her green hues hesitantly looked up to meet the light blue ones. A squeak of astonishment caught all the people's attention and their gazes looking at the source which happened to be a shocked Chizuru with wide eyes and her hands clasped over her mouth. "I-Imouto.. y-you mean.. Akika-san is a girl?" Silence befell over the room before muffled snickers could be heard from Souji and Heisuke. Souji took the chance to poke fun at the ebony haired beauty. "She's a female in a disguise just like you, Chizuru-chan. Although there wasn't much to disguise."

"Of course I am. Why else would I have such a beautiful face hm?" Akika paid no attention to the snickering duo and flipped her hair back with a sultry smile. "I attract males and females without an issue. Unlike those ugly beasts over there who could never get a girl in a million years." Opposed to her sugar sweet voice, her words packed a punch and earned plenty of disapproval. "O-oh.. I'm sorry, Akika-san!" Chizuru squeaked out and gave a deep bow after snapping out of her daze from being bewitched by the mentioned female. The ebony haired female simply waived it off coolly, "Don't mind, don't mind."

"Anyways," The younger Nagakura pursed her lips and mainly glanced at her brother. "Akika. I know it's just all of us but Akika while we are working. I understand that it is still confusing and mind-boggling as to why I disappeared and reappeared. I will explain after this and I won't blame you for the doubts or any of you for not wanting to trust my credentials. But as professionals, I request of your full trust in me, just as I place my full trust in all of you." Her green eyes trailed towards the petite female that was flustered upon the eye contact, "Any explanations or catching up will have to wait after tonight."

* * *

 **Scene: Outside Akebono Tei teahouse**

3rd P.O.V.

The captains gathered beneath the shadows, their hands tensed upon the hilts of their weapons. None of them donning the widely recognized haori. They had met up with Yamazaki and Shimada who had lingered around the entire day, looking out for suspicious men. Both declined that they had noticed any strange activity going on. Akika's brows furrowed doubtfully and let out a quiet breath, gaining the attention of the left-hander next to her. She took off her weapons and placed them on the floor, standing up straight and adjusting her outfit.

"I'm going in to get some information." Akika quietly informed the group, not making any eye contact as she walked away. "I am a regular customer there after all."

The rest of them glanced at each other then watched the disguised female enter the teahouse with bated breaths. Truthfully, despite feeling happy and relieved that their friend has finally returned, it was hard to trust someone who had suddenly reappeared. The thought of this person colluding with the enemies and acting before them by feeding them with fake information had placed them on their guards. If her information was proven correct, it would be for the best.

The brunette male perked up at the sight of a male approaching the teahouse. "Is that..?" The others glanced at the same male pointed out with narrowed eyes. The male was decked out in all black and looking far from a rogue samurai, seemingly behaving suspiciously by analyzing his surroundings. "Possibly a Chōshū member.."

"Are we just gonna wait here uselessly?!" Gritting his teeth, Heisuke bolted from his position and unsheathed his katana. "Wait, Heisuke!" Ignoring the warning, he went out with a slight yell, taking the male by surprised and was about to stab him when the brunette was shoved aside by a weight.

Akika was easing up the geishas that she was served with flirtatious lines when her ears picked up the yell and was flabbergasted to see Heisuke acting recklessly and boldly in front of a teahouse with many eyes watching. Dashing out of the teahouse, she crashed against Heisuke, making sure that the blade did not reach the man. Smacking his head and ignoring his moans of pain while he clutched his shoulder, Akika bowed to the man apologetically. "My apologies for my younger brother's actions. He has been traumatized by the ruthless acts done by rogue samurais and gets riled up by the sight of a true samurai like yourself. I hope that you from the Tosa clan will spare him and be forgiving. I will be sure to discipline him." She gritted her teeth and signaled to the others with her hand to hold back as she bore with the insults received from the man as he strode into the teahouse.

Straightening her back, the others came out from their hiding spot and moved towards the two. Heisuke was checked by Yamazaki and instructed to be carried by Shinpachi. Akika bit her lips and scanned the surroundings when she saw a hidden figure watching them, catching the sight of a noticeable chain. She lifted her hand and tugged onto the hakama of Souji, earning his attention — to which he followed her line of vision, catching sight of her target who began moving away. Nudging the quieter male next to him, both Souji and Hajime went over to investigate. Growling under her breath, Akika punched her fist against the coarse ground in frustration. They nearly got it when this happened and now her cover is blown.

"Don't be too hard on yourself." A large hand was extended towards her and Akika looked up to meet the gentle golden orbs of Sanosuke. "We will have a next time." Akika could only frown at the thought of waiting for another opportunity. She simply grabbed his hand and pulled herself up to her feet, dusting her clothes. "Another time would not give me the chance to prove that you guys can trust me."

"Don't be silly, you are Shinpachi's sister." Sanosuke's golden orbs rested on the shorter female's brooding figure. "Shin-nii's sister or not, it does not prove that I'm trustworthy. I must prove that the information I had provided was credible and yet.." She pursed her lips and followed the backs of the others retreating to the headquarters.

* * *

Remember to **review** this story if you wish to be a kind soul and lend a hand. And if you like this story then uh.. **like** it. :)

 _©YoshizawaAyumu2019_


	4. Chapter 3

**I do not own any Hakuouki characters. Only Akika and my plot.**

 _I'd like to mention that this incident of Akebono Tei teahouse did happen and the Shinsengumi had indeed wrongly murdered the samurai of the Tosa clan. So that's a history lesson for everyone, of course not the accurate depiction of the incident itself. Also, this would continue from the first scene from Chapter Two, where Akika was bandaging Heisuke._

* * *

 **Scene: In the Shinsengumi headquarters**

Akika's P.O.V.

"You're seriously an idiot, Heisuke." A heavy sigh left my lips as my eyebrows furrowed after teasing him. I couldn't help but feel upset and greatly disappointed. Why oh why did that man from the Tosa clan appear? Now there's no way Sakamoto Ryoma or any leaders from Chōshū would return back to Akebono Tei teahouse for the time being. All the research gathered during my one year of disappearance is now useless.

I exhaled and glanced up at the regretful teal eyes of the teen. "You're lucky else you would be required to perform seppuku. Not something I would want to see after finally reuniting with you." My fingers gently reached out to ruffle the soft brown strands of Heisuke's hair, the boy looking up at me with teary eyes. A wisp of a smile appeared on my face as I listened to the stubborn teen struggling to utter soft apologies. Heisuke and I were really close back then since we were just a year apart. He had always looked up to me as a role model while I did my best to take care of him, although I did get influenced by others to rile him up.

"Akika-chan is right, Heisuke-kun." Our commander spoke up gently yet firm. "Thank goodness Akika-chan had realized that the man was part of the Tosa clan and stopped you. We would have been in deep trouble and strain our relations with them." The meeting room once again settled in a more tensed atmosphere. Hajime and Souji were absent from the meeting, still out scouting for the suspicious figure that was sighted at the teahouse.

"But what puzzled me was…how did you manage to determine that he was from Tosa when you were supposed to be inside the teahouse?" The commander checked the report of the entire incident that happened earlier. Pursing my lips, I straightened up my back. "Those in the Tosa clan, they would have that insignia tattooed onto their skin. I figured that out during my travels in that year."

"I know it would have seemed impossible for me to have seen the insignia from a distance, especially during the night." I breathed out heavily, knowing that all these information would not be enough to avoid suspicion. "But after wandering as a traveller, you will tend to pick up subtle hints easily since you can never let your guard down."

"The question is," the smooth mature voice of Sanosuke spoke up, "why would someone from the Tosa clan be there at the teahouse? Was it that much of a coincidence?" My face stilled, eyebrows furrowed deep in thought as I made a small noise of agreement. "That's what I would like to know too." Based on the knowledge I had inquired and acquired, it is rare to see someone from the Tosa clan to be loitering about in Kyoto. Most were sent to Edo for the purpose of further developing their techniques in the training schools there and would remain in Edo with their clan. The distance between Kyoto and Edo was not close either. It was more or less suspicious but without any concrete evidence, I can't afford to share this information.

I could feel the piercing violet orbs lingering on my form without even needing to look up. My eyebrow twitched slightly, a bit peeved. That's why this old man has yet to find a one night stand, you won't do well by being so aggressive. "I know that look of yours." Hijikata steadily spoke out, folding his arms across his chest. "As suspicious or dubious things are, Tosa clan has always insisted to be a neutral party. Even if we did capture the male and interrogated him, we have no basis to accuse them being in cahoots with the Chōshū and Sakamoto Ryoma." Knew it.

"Our plan last night was something we should have never done. Kondou-san, you should have been more patient and aware of the details." The commander of the Shinsengumi simply laughed bashfully at the light chiding received from his lieutenant, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Wakatta _[I understand]_ , Toshi. The more you make that face, the more wrinkles you'll get."

"Be more serious!" Just as Hijikata scolded Kondou, the door slid open to reveal Souji and Hajime — the first unit captain and third unit captain.

"Yo! We've returned." Souji casually announced their arrival with his signature cheshire smirk, going to his respective seat whereas the stoic male bowed respectfully to his superiors and went over to settle down.

"How nice of you to finally join in." Shinpachi crossed his arms, unimpressed by the late arrival of his comrades. "Disappearing on us just like that without a word." I shook my head at my brother's attitude. Typical Shinpachi. Sanosuke slapped him on the back with a soft chuckle, "Now, don't get all riled up. There must be a reason." Thank goodness that dumbass is lucky enough to have a friend like Sanosuke.

Souji smirked and leaned forward with his chin on his palm, "Heh. I thought Aki-chan would have filled all of you in on why we left." I gave an irked look at the bemused male. Trust Souji to always dig a grave for me. Certain things never change. "Akika-chan hasn't mentioned anything of that sort yet." I gritted my teeth and strained a smile before whacking the unsuspecting brunette on the head. "That's because I was busy fixing your rash ass up." Heisuke sulked and rubbed the back of his head, looking away as he muttered inconspicuously under his breath.

"Anyways, while Heisuke was being impulsive as always, Aki-chan noticed a suspicious figure that lingered close and informed me. So naturally I dragged Hajime-kun along to investigate. I suppose that wouldn't be a problem since we were working, hai Shinpachi-san?" Shinpachi got riled up by Souji's smug comment as I facepalmed myself. Sometimes, I wonder if Souji was the missing spawn of the devil.

Ignoring the first unit captain's smug comment and second unit captain's annoyed noises, Hajime had continued on to fill in their findings. "The person we trailed is extremely skilled and is worthy to be noted as suspicious. We lost his tracks after he gave us a few slips here and there — stealthy under the shadows. Both of Okita-san and myself had decided to split in search of our target but found nothing."

"Eh? A ninja?! I thought there were none, except for Yamazaki-kun who pretends to be one at times." Heisuke cocked his head to the side. We ignored his comment, the usual. "Nothing at all? Just how skilled could this person be that he could outrun the two of you?" Sanosuke narrowed his golden hues in thought. "Was there anything outstanding about this person's physical appearance?"

"A keychain." I finally interjected, tracing my finger on the tatami mat while recalling the vague shapes. "It had an insignia carved into it which is not something familiar or recognizable if we attempt to identify them to any possible clans. Another reason why it stuck out was that it was gold in color." The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose after he written down the details of the report and added his two-cents, "And gold is highly valuable and rarely used to make a mere keychain. Which would mean that we are currently stepping into dangerous waters with people who has plenty of power in their control." I hummed in agreement, nodding slightly. "Exactly. As expected as the smart one of this group."

"Was that another insult to jab us in our vulnerable hearts, Aki-chan? How cruel." Souji dramatically clutched onto his heart although his smirk never wavered. "I thought there was a better connection between us."

"Akika-chan! Stop insulting my image like that! You make me feel less confident now." Heisuke's voice quipped, followed by teasing remarks by Shinpachi and Sanosuke. "As expected of my sibling, us Nagakuras can't help but be honest. Don't worry, Heisuke. I'll teach you the art of seducing a woman."

"I don't think Akika-chan would like to be lumped together with you. Neither would Heisuke want to hear that from you." Sanosuke deadpanned and ignored the cries of betrayal from his best friend.

As much as I wanted to join in on the rowdiness, it really wasn't the time for it. Nor would it humour the other more mature figures in this room. I sweatdropped at the irked expression of Hijikata and the pulsating vein at the temple of his forehead. I'm sure you can tell who they are, other than our obvious demon vice-commander. "Now now, settle down." Kondou laughed lightly, resembling close to a father figure.

"Calm down, you idiots." I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling softly. "Asides from that, I doubt that any rendezvous meetings would be held at Akebono Tei teahouse any time soon. Although we could still continue to observe the situation. I doubt they would easily give up a great meeting point just like that." Pursing my lips, my fingers clutched onto the fabric of my hakama pants. "And I apologize. We weren't able to nab the culprits and prove that the information I had acquired weren't falsified."

* * *

3rd P.O.V.

The emerald-eyed male simply laughed at the seriousness and looped his arm around the shoulder of the nearly forgotten Chizuru — utterly confused and bewildered by the information exchanged. "As always, no wonder you got along with Hajime-kun so well. Both equally serious and uptight." Akika's red lips instantly tugged downwards as she scowled at the cheshire male, "And no wonder we don't get along too well."

"How cruel. Have you forgotten all of our rendezvous in each other's bedrooms?"

"I'll kill you."

"...Did that bastard just said that he did a rende-what with my imouto? In their bedrooms!?"

"Can't you brats keep it down for once?" The group of captains stiffened up, eyes twitching at the dangerous aura drifting their way. Akika could have sworn that she saw purple lights radiating off the demonic expression of their dear Hijikata. "Feh. A killjoy as always." Souji scoffed lightly and leaned back in a relaxed position, his arms folded behind his head.

Kondou cleared his throat, not minding the chaos which was a normality in this group. He followed up by smiling kindly at the green orbed female, "Going back to what you said earlier, it couldn't be helped that we weren't able to achieve the desired results. But don't take it too hard." He glanced at the stack of documents that was submitted to him earlier that day. "With regards to the credibility, of course, we have to be wary. Then again, I should still give you the benefit of the doubt."

"If I may have a say in this," Sannan piqued up and adjusted his glasses on his nose. "It would be best for Akika-kun to explain her disappearance and how these documents came to exist. It is only fair for us to know everything that had happened back then. Don't you think so, Akika-kun."

That sly fox, the said female muttered under her breath. As far as she was concern, she definitely never did get used to the crafty mind of the bespectacled male. The younger Nagakura shrugged her shoulders and nodded, already predicting that the topic would arise sooner or later, no matter how unpleasant it was to her. "It is only fair. But I do wish to be updated on the changes going on here as well. After I clear up my side of the story, of course." Her green hues briefly met the large alarmed ones of Chizuru.

* * *

Remember to **review** this story if you wish to be a kind soul and lend a hand. And if you like this story then uh.. **like** it. :)  
 _©YoshizawaAyumu2019_


	5. Chapter 4

**I do not own any Hakuouki characters. Only Akika and my plot.**

* * *

3rd P.O.V.

"You can begin anytime." Kondou signaled towards the female Nagakura. For once, all the captains were quiet and serious, wanting to listen to the disappearance of their beloved comrade. Chizuru, on the other hand, was clueless as every time she tried to raise up the topic of Akika, none of the captains would give her straightforward answers. "But before that," Everyone perked up to see their commander smiling warmly at the flustered petite female. "Maybe we should brief Chizuru-chan about who exactly Akika-chan is. Chizuru-chan is part of this group anyways."

"Basically, Akika-chan had been with us since the beginning, long before you came under our roof. She was one of our most valuable unit captains, our 5th unit captain as well as our intelligence officer. Back then we sent her out on a scouting mission but she never returned till that night when you, Hajime, Shinpachi and Sanosuke found her."

"Suspicious that she went missing without a trace and suddenly decided to join us." Sannan sharply commented as Akika lightly waived off the animosity. "Couldn't you just wait for me to explain everything, Sannan-san? How impatient. That's not a good quality in bed."

"I have no comment on that crude remark. I expected better."

The rest of the males, including Chizuru, sweatdropped at the way the conversation was turning out. "Oh for the love of- Can't we just have a moment to be serious." Hijikata growled under his breath. "Now now, Toshi." Kondou nervously patted the violet eyed male on the back in attempt to calm him down.

"This is not any easier for me to talk about so yeah. Lets just get it over and done with." Akika's usually lazy tone was now laced with reluctance, catching the attention of those in the room.

The female centered in the spotlight wore a wistful expression as she recollected the past memories that were buried in the depths of her heart. "Where should I begin…" Akika merely pursed her lips while organizing her thoughts as the leaders watched her like hawks. It was a heavy tension that felt suffocating. "I guess I should begin from the day when that mission was given. It was close to a year ago. That was when we were somewhat still affiliated with Serizawa. Ah, I missed Ryunosuke-kun so much." She laughed quietly at the familiar image of an old friend.

"We were often targets of Chōshū spies who constantly infiltrate our ranks to attain valuable information. Sometimes, they just come to try assassinating us and naturally, we kill them off. The thing about those groups were that they don't usually appear in Kyoto since their headquarters were miles away so that raised an alarm for us." Akika paused momentarily and explained her role in the Shinsengumi in more detail. "Before I forget, while I was the 5th unit captain, my unit size was small and negligible. So often, my role was doubled up as an intelligence officer like Yamazaki-kun and Shimada-kun."

"Anyways, that was when Kondou-sama and Hijikata-san gave me orders to investigate for any suspicious agendas or alliances among clans we were not aware of, as well as to determine their meeting point since they can't suddenly pop up in Kyoto and immediately retreat to their base. The plan was for me to determine any loopholes in the various clans' activities. And I had to return in about two weeks, whether or not I was able to gain intel."

* * *

 ** _A year ago…_**

Akika's P.O.V.

It was during the late evening and I was still on my journey from Kyoto to the Shiba prefecture, although I must admit that I was getting lazy as time passed by. But how could you blame me when it is a fucking long distance and the horse that was accompanying me was being a prissy piece of shit. My eyes trailed towards the black horse that was whining and shaking its head furiously, lagging behind under the burning heat. I deadpanned at the ironic scene where I had a horse but can't ride on it. "Ah…they should have allowed me to take Amon instead. Amon is such a sweetheart and very dedicated. Unlike a certain brat." Amon, ah yes, the beautiful horse with a shiny brown coat with such a easy personality. My true love.

The horse gave a high pitched neigh and snuffed at my hair, seemingly offended by my remarks. "What? It's the truth." Another neigh and it shoved my shoulder, earning a glare from me which it proudly laughed in its horse-like manner. Lucky for this one, I don't advocate animal cruelty…but there can be exceptions. "Oh hush and stop being a bratty horse, Shion. You and I are in this together!" My lips pursed and deadpanned at the horse seemingly grumbling at the comment. I straightened my posture and folded my arms across my chest. "Oh yeah? Then go back and face the wrath of the demon Hijikata if that's what you desire so much." Shion froze and whimpered fearfully before drooping its head in defeat. "Yeah, that's what I thought. We can't lose any time."

* * *

 ** _Back to the present…_**

3rd P.O.V.

"Uh…"

"Maybe getting straight to the point would save more time." Hajime quietly interfered on the behalf of everyone. Shinpachi shook his head, "I didn't expect you to also pick a fight with a horse."

"The fact that you mentioned this small detail first instead of anything else.." Heisuke sweatdropped and uttered under his breath.

"I know I know." Everyone had shivers when their eyes were set on the sickeningly sweet smile etched on Akika's face with a black aura surrounding her body threateningly. "Just needed to feedback on how Shion was a terrible choice despite me requesting for a change."

"Even if it's a year late." Kondou shakily laughed, his corner of his smiling lips twitching nervously. The green hued female kept up her uncomfortable smile, "I'm just petty."

"A demon huh?" Hijikata was irked and could feel an impending headache heading his way. "Well if a horse could identify and agree that you are one, there's no lie in that statement." Akika quickly waived it off. "Now, if you guys could listen."

* * *

 ** _Back to Akika's story telling…_**

Akika's P.O.V.

Thank goodness, Shion had finally cooperated with me which spared them from wasting more time in travelling. After all, I had to make my way to Shiba — more specifically, Hikone. The reason why it had to be Hikone was because all the intel that I had gathered from most, if not all, teahouses in Kyoto that recently the Chōshū had been more commonly sighted around that area which was quite near in terms of distance with Kyoto. The Chōshū domain were mostly situated in Nagano which was further than you can imagine. It would have taken them weeks to just travel from one place to the other. With the sudden increment in the frequency of their activities against us in Kyoto, it was more than enough for us to be suspicious that they have found a nearer location to be situated. Quiet and rarely bypassed, Hikone was a highly possible area for the Chōshū to gather and send out spies to the Shinsengumi headquarters, as well as to form allies with other clans that we have yet to identify.

Now, I'm not too sure if it was the heat or exhaustion but either of it caused me to hear the yapping voices of the other captains. "And here I thought that I wouldn't need to worry about hearing any nagging for the next few days." I grumbled in irritation while the black horse neighed happily at my suffering.

"Remember," A flashback to the meeting room before I had set out on my mission. Hijikata was lecturing me like a mother hen would. "Focus on your task and don't fool around while you're at it." The voice then changed to Shinpachi's, "Don't attract trouble or stay out too late, imouto! You're still a female and need to be careful! Be back within the two weeks or I'll go and find you."

I deadpanned at the memory and made a face while re-enacting the scene. "Seriously… I'm offended at the lack of trust. Who did they think I was? I'm extremely reliable, mind them!" Shion just neighed her input in my rambling. "Oh shut it, you darned horse."

* * *

 ** _Back to the present…_**

3rd P.O.V.

"Akika…" Hijikata growled lowly, his fist tightly clenched banged the surface of the table. "Just get on with it."

"Alright, alright." Akika airily replied, not paying much attention to the threatening aura emitted, much to the anxiety of the others. "I'm just saying that I was really offended."

"And petty."

"Yeah, that too."

* * *

 ** _Once again, back to the long story telling…_**

Akika's P.O.V.

Well, it was close to my fourth night out after being sent to this mission. The first two nights were spent to visit all the brothels and teahouses — for the sake of collecting intel, naturally. Then another night was spent at Yasu which served as a resting point after another long day of traveling.

Currently, I was making my way to Omihachiman for my second resting point. Of course, I shouldn't be having too many resting points but Hikone and Kyoto were like 65.3km apart. Plus, Shion would be pissed if I continued the journey without letting her rest. With the circumstances, I can't really afford to have her temper act up again since it was a cramped schedule to make ends meet. I guess, as long as I managed to gather more intel while staying for the night at the resting points, it shouldn't be a problem.

"Lets see, where are we." I mumbled under my breath and reached inside my pocket to pull out a small compass. It was a gift from Heisuke before I left. Didn't want me to lose my way, he said. Honestly, such a cutie.

"Hm…" My eyes gazed at the arrow's direction. "Good, we're in the right direction. But how long more?" I pulled out a piece of folded paper and unfolded it, only to splutter out blood from the shock received. Just kidding. But… My eyebrows twitched at the scribbling on the paper. "This is —"

A flashback at the notorious trio of dumbasses doing their best to draw out a map for me to use and I deadpanned, my jaw dropping at the sorry excuse of a map. "Ah."

I blankly crushed it up and tossed it into my bag before searching for the actual map given by Sannan. "Here we go." I heaved a sigh of relief of a nicely drawn map and gazed at the route I was taking. "Guess we're close by, Shion. Just another hour or so and you can rest."

That was when I felt a threatening presence creeping up behind me. My eyes narrowed in alarm, stiffening my posture unconsciously as I discreetly scanned the surroundings with half of my face concealed under the protection of my cone-shaped hat. Shion, thank goodness, wasn't dumb enough to not notice the tension and started to pick up her pace without making much noise.

It was hard to see under the blanket of the dark sky. The next thing I knew, I was off Shion with my katana drawn out and pressed against the attacker's blade. I could hear the black horse neighing in distress as I gritted my teeth in annoyance. "How irritating. I just can't get a break, can I?" I withdrew my blade, only to hear the sound of swords clashing against one another a few seconds later. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The attacker was heavily disguised. And yet, I could see the smirk forming on his lips. "If I tell you, it wouldn't be fun, would it?" Our swords went back to clashing against each other before returning to the same position. "True." My green hues flashed dangerously as a warning. "But I would prefer if the roles were reversed."

"Then that won't be fun for me anymore."

"Do I care? No."

"Hidoi yo! _[How cruel!]"_

How things had ended with me being on Shion who racing through the woods as a cover to lose our tracks were unclear. The man did not seem to be someone who was out for my head. He was restricting his movements, yet he was able to be on par with me in swordsmanship. My hands gripped onto the reins tighter. He was stronger, much stronger than I was. I had to be more careful. This person was simply playing with me.

Who could he be? The only thing memorable about him was the unrecognizable insignia that was tattooed on the side of his neck.

* * *

 ** _Back to the present…_**

3rd P.O.V.

"An insignia tattooed on the skin? Then wouldn't that perpetrator be from the Tosa clan?" Kondou spoke up, recalling the small fact about Tosa clan and linking them together. Akika shook her head, "I'm afraid not. The insignia was different. If it was truly the Tosa clan, I wouldn't have stopped Heisuke from attacking that guy at Akebono Tei teahouse."

"It was the same insignia as that keychain you saw on that guy you got us to chase, right?" Souji's voice drawled out, figuring out the unspoken detail that the ebony haired female purposely left out. "That's why you were so aware and mindful of that keychain."

She pursed her lips and let out a soft sigh. Trust Souji to have that habit of spoiling things. "Yeah, they were the same."

The captains met each other's gaze seriously. An insignia that couldn't be identified to a clan? That spelled trouble, especially if this mysterious group were their enemies. "Later, you can describe the insigna to me so I can draw it out. All of us need to be familiar with how it looks." The soft yet firm voice of the left-handed male left no chance for Akika to go against him. The female Nagakura could only exhale reluctantly and give a short nod.

"What happened next?" Shinpachi folded his arms across his chest. "Why did you disappear if you were able to get out of the situation?" The captains furrowed their eyebrows, having seen that the female went silent and seemed awfully immersed in her thoughts. "Akika?"

The said female perked up at the call of her name, green eyes slightly glazed over. "Ah. Gomen, gomen _[sorry, sorry]_! Kind of drifted off for a bit." She laughed sheepishly while rubbing her nape. Chizuru was quietly watching the scene unfolding before her eyes and squinted as she sighted the small strain in the smile of the other female. Maybe she would need to ask the others if they had also noticed that. But that would have to wait.

"Well, the whole thing kind of repeated throughout the trip. Get randomly attacked by the same person yet managed to escape unscathed. That person had managed to escape too." Akika's voice grew slightly darker as she continued to speak. "Then a day came where I was ambushed by a different organization. They didn't have the same insignia. But I don't know if that person and that organization had any relations since it just so happened that that man didn't turn up."

Everyone's attention were directed to her unwrapping the bandages from her hands. They hadn't taken notice of the bandages before this. And now that they had, they were horrified. Beneath the bandages were battered skin that were colored purple and yellow. "The fuck happened…" Shinpachi uttered. He was the most horrified and first to react.

"Those people were good. Shot me with some drug and took me away to be tortured." Akika lightly hummed and wrapped her hands back as if it was a normal situation to share. "Apparently, they wanted some information from me after observing my activities. Didn't give it to them so they decided to cripple me as a swordsman by breaking every bone in my hands. Oh, and my legs too."

Tying the bandages tightly, she looked up to see everyone pale and speechless. The female Nagakura lightly laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "Don't look like that. Thank goodness they didn't try to be lazy and chop my limbs off. If not, no matter how hard Matsumoto-sensei tried to heal me, I wouldn't be here at all."

* * *

 _For the record, it is historically recorded that about a year from the raid of the Akebono Tei teahouse, Shinsengumi had to assassinate Chōshū spies which happened after the assassination of Serizawa Kamo. Which meant, yes, Akika had met Ryunosuke based on the Reimeiroku timeline. Oh and, she has no clue of the existence of the trio onis. Yet. They'll meet soon, no worries._

Remember to **review** this story if you wish to be a kind soul and lend a hand. And if you like this story then uh.. **like** it. :)

 _ **©YoshizawaAyumu2019**_


	6. Chapter 5

**I do not own any Hakuouki characters. Only Akika and my plot.**

 _(I added a few details hence the reupload of this chapter.)_

* * *

3rd P.O.V.

 _"...-ridges between us…"_

Warily, alert green hues darted across their surroundings with bated breath.

 _"Don't…-ember me…"_

A feathery sensation bristled against her ear. Taking a few more careful measures to secure her location, only then did she finally let out a tired sigh and relaxed her tensed shoulders, hissing softly at the dull ache at her shoulder blades. "No perverts. What a joy." The ebony haired female messily combed her long locks of hair back. The chill air of the morning hugged her bare skin as she slowly dipped her body into the warmth of the bath she drew for herself, a comfortable moan escaped her lips.

Akika looked up at the rising dawn with a faint smile gracing her lips as she soaked her body. She loved dawns. The female, in fact, loved the sky but specifically preferred the painting of the sky at dawn. It never failed to take her breath away by how the sun slowly rises and casts its radiance across the land. Dawns were always the most peaceful time for her where most were still in their slumber while she attained the peace and quiet all to herself before she goes back in hiding.

The memories of her adventures had her mused slightly before painting a faint scowl on her features. While the female didn't mind the travels and rare experience gathered from it — she had in fact made plenty of interesting acquaintances — , she didn't appreciate being forced into the restriction of her movements just because some organization decided to target her. Akika clicked her tongue and shook her head. Well, at least that dreadful episode was over, she comforted herself. Unless they were that dumb to follow her all the way here. If that happened, she might just shift her idea of them as sadistic douches to fucking dumbasses.

But that's enough about them, Akika didn't want to ruin her mood that early in the morning. The ebony haired female began to lightly scrub off the grime from her skin, followed by the rinsing of her hair. Where was she exactly? The female Nagakura had once created an outdoor bath in one of the hidden spaces of the compound. She couldn't possibly share the same bath area as the males. Waking up early to shower in that combined bath space wouldn't do much since men do wake up at different timings, depending on their schedules. Akika thanked god that her bath sanctuary was still in good condition or she'd have to confront the other captains about it — they do occasionally use this bath, much to her displeasure. Perhaps they had told Chizuru about this place too.

Yukimura Chizuru. The female sighed quietly and sunk deeper in her bath as she recalled the previous conversation held within the privacy of the meeting room.

 _"This is Yukimura Chizuru." The commander gestured towards the timid looking female although it wasn't necessary since she was the only addition to the group. Akika merely raised a brow at the familiarity of the last name but made no indication of voicing out her thoughts. Chizuru was squirming under the uninterested green hues boring right at her. "We had found her in the alley and have witnessed a few rogue Rasetsu. Ironically, it seemed to be the same scenario when you had met her." Kondou laughed cheerily as if there was nothing wrong with that statement whereas everyone else simply sweat at their lighthearted commander. "So currently she is under our care for now." To which, Souji quipped that the brunette female was actually Hijikata's responsibility instead of everyone's, earning a glare and an annoyed sigh from the said irate male._

 _"Rasetsu?" Akika raised a brow at the new term mentioned then sending a questionable look towards the bespectacled male after realizing what it meant_ — or rather, who it meant. While doing so, she had unintentionally ignored the stuttering female who attempted to greet her. _"I never thought that you would have allowed for that despicable experimentation to continue even after I left, Sannan-san." She had knew of the experiment going on within the Shinsengumi while under Serizawa's pompous dictatorship, albeit not much on the details. The ebony haired female detested the experimentation conducted on innocent men and had consistently displayed her abhorrence publicly._

 _"It was simply an opportunity that we could not give up on, Akika-kun." Sannan replied calmly, ignoring the narrowed green hues. As much as she wanted to say more, Akika knew that the male was ambitious and stubborn. Both being qualities that she was not particularly fond. "A risk-taker as always, Sannan-san. You know, that will be the cause for your downfall." The female Nagakura snubbed before diverting the conversation, "And I see that you guys are still picking people up just like back then with Ryunosuke-kun. I really do miss him. He was a great target for teasing and pranks."_

 _"I guess we could say that our side job is to become human collectors." Sanosuke joked lightly at the thought. "Dead or alive?" The female simply shook her head while the familiar group of trio started their debate on the term 'human collectors' and how it did not quite differ from their main job. Her green orbs once again settled on the slumped desolate figure. Something about the young female was familiar as her calculative gaze sized up the docile other. "Yukimura… Yukimura Koudou?" The petite brunette perked up and instantly nodded, "H-hai!"_

 _"She's the daughter of Yukimura Koudou. He didn't return back to Edo so she came to find him. We had to find him as well." Hajime quietly informed the younger Nagakura with the necessary details, earning a soft noise of understanding from her. "Huh. Kind of expected that he would betray us."_

Pursing her lips at the revelation that the new female figure was related to the man responsible for the Ochimizu research, Akika could only exhale at the joke which life was playing on them. It seemed like they could never shake off people who were somewhat related to the project. As much as Akika didn't feel at ease with the newcomer, it was not within her to just shun a person based on relations. She didn't quite care as long as the person doesn't present any danger towards the trusting individuals of the group.

Perking up from her thoughts, she knew that she had spent far too much time in the bath. The female knew that she couldn't afford to spend more time here, less someone discover her — and her gender if it was someone other than the captains —, but she was reluctant to part from her sanctuary of peace. Maybe just for a little while longer before she leaves, that was what Nagakura Akika coaxed herself.

Her fingers reached out to her shoulders and skillfully pressed onto her pressure points, a moan of relief escaping her lips. To be frank, Akika was never the type to wake up early. Sleep was the only thing that could help her relax and escape from the responsibilities she faced, although that had to be sacrificed during her one year of travels. Oh the cruelty towards her need for beauty rest, the passive female lamented to herself.

The corner of her lips twitched downwards as her expression uncharacteristically molded into a frown. But last night was different. Akika no longer needed to be on the alert when she was back home, safe and sound. Yet she couldn't sleep. Throughout the night, whispers flooded her ears. She couldn't decipher most of the sentences with the voices constantly overlapping one another. Even if she could, it seemed that the important parts were blocked out. Akika pursed her lips then exhaling shortly after, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose as she shook her head. For now, she would just passed it off as a sign of exhaustion. After all, many things had happened for Akika to properly rest. Plus, she could always use this to extort additional breaks from her superiors.

Her lips curled into a cunning smirk as her brain wrecked ideas to sway the cold heart of the demon they were serving. The female stood up and reached over to grab her towel that was hanging on a low branch. Rustling could be heard as her ears instantly perked up at the intruder who did not seem to bother concealing their identity. Before she could even react, her green hues met the stoic navy blue hues that gradually widened in shock. "S-S…Sumimasen! _[Sorry/Excuse me!]_ "

The poor male struggled to regain his composure. A furious blush slapped across his cheeks as he stumbled away from the bath. Oh, and the naked body of a stunned female. It hadn't quite registered to Akika that she was fully exposed till much later when she witheringly smacked her head against the surface of the bathtub.

Despite her passive features, a twinge of pink threatened to bloom on her cheeks as she finally made her way out of the bath, fully clothed. Her green eyes laid on the silent male who was leaning against a nearby tree, facing the opposite direction of the hidden bath. A small smile full of hidden meanings made its way on her face. While she generally does not conform to the standards of the fellow males around her, he was the only person that she would make it an exception.

With light steps, Akika made her way to the stoic looking male. Her arms snaked around his waist as she flashed a teasing grin that could easily rival a certain brunette male. Akika purposely leaned in towards the male's ear, amused at the way the stoic male stiffened up from discomfort. "You know, you could always tell me upfront that you wanted to bathe with me, Hajime-kun." Akika purred and purposely emphasized on the syllables of his name. "I could always use some company at night."

The disguised female gave a toothy grin after taking a few steps back for the poor male's sake. Hajime's face was colored vermilion, his navy colored orbs slightly disoriented. However, he met up to her expectations when the bluenette kept up with his poker face and simply bowed towards the snickering female with his utmost sincere apology, "I'm sorry for intruding, Akika-san. I should have been more alert with my surroundings."

"Ah…so serious as always, Hajime-kun." Akika laughed it off and waved her hand carelessly, not minding the incident especially when the perpetrator was Saitou Hajime. Naturally, he was a much preferred candidate compared to the other males within the compound. "Don't mind, don't mind. But you could always be more honest with your hidden desires for me."

"That's not it."

"What's not it?"

"I have no hidden desires for you." A dramatic gasp followed suit.

" _No desires in me..?_ How cruel. You don't have to put it across so harshly… I'm still a woman, y'know?" An exasperate sigh followed much later, "Akika-san."

"Your reactions are my favorite. Well, second to Heisuke. But don't be too jealous."

* * *

Akika's P.O.V.

Whistling under my breath, my eyes trailed to the late morning sky as I waited for the brunette who was finishing up applying medication to my hands and legs. Back then, it was Matsumoto-sensei who had taken care of my injuries. I guess it was fate that he coincidentally had some business in Hachiman-Bochi and came across my injured self. Matsumoto-sensei had mentioned that it was impossible for my bones to have healed since medications could only heal the superficial wounds. I suppose life was not ready to let me depart yet.

I trailed off from my thoughts as the cooling sensation provided relief to my bruised skin while my eyes were fixated on the beauty within my visage. As expected, the sky was truly magnificent and demands for attention towards the color it has decided to wear for that brief moment. Perking up my ears at the sound of a box clicking shut, I averted my green hues appreciatively towards Yamazaki. "Zakizaki, arigato! _[thanks!]_ " I beamed a wide smile, my lips curving more at the sound of Yamazaki's annoyed grumbles. "After a year and you still wouldn't let go of that awful nickname."

"Oh come on, Zakizaki." I purposely drawled out his detested nickname, finding humor in grating on his nerves. "You know that you missed me calling you by that name and having me giving you all of my attention."

"No, I was in fact thankful that I didn't need to be disturbed by you." Yamazaki deadpanned and monotonously replied. "And wipe off that shit-eating grin." That came my cue to react dramatically by clutching onto the fabric above my heart. "Well, that stung. So much for thinking that you would care." I feigned a sniffle which only gained another sigh from the male. A very Yamazaki response.

While I generally don't express myself too much, it really differs between individuals. I guess you could say that it is a matter of favoritism. How could I not enjoy teasing the more stoic and quiet males especially when they provide me with a reaction that would humor me for the day. Heisuke was an exception, he's just really fun to rile up. I guess while knowing that reactions are the cause for constant teasing comments and pranks, I display a more nonchalant character when the roles were reversed.

"Oho oho? Now you shouldn't be too mean towards Aki-chan, Yamzaki-kun." A sly voice rang out as I internally facepalmed myself. I must have jinxed it. My once teasing expression was now replaced by an indifferent look. "Aki-chan is my princess after all." I mentally gawked at the statement while the supposed medic for our organization sighed once again for his lack of luck.

"Princess?" I uttered out the atrocious term with an eyebrow twitching, annoyance threatening to surface. Okita Souji was a true contender that can rival my teasing personality which I do try to avoid, for the sake of the peace within this roof. He, on the other hand, doesn't quite take the hint. Or should I say that he couldn't care less about it. Whatever he wants, he aims to get.

Souji was now closer to my face with the most irksome smile. I stared at him, unimpressed, before turning to Yamazaki who was preparing to take his leave. "Zakizaki, this here," I gestured towards Souji's face with a deadpanned expression, "is the true shit-eating grin. I'm offended that you compared my pretty face to this monstrosity."

"It feels like the good old days where you two bicker all day. I guess some things don't change at all." A warm large hand pressed down against my head, messing up my hair. I didn't even need to look to know who that was. "There's only one person you should blame, Sano-kun." I breathed out tiredly. It wasn't even afternoon and I already felt like my energy level was drained out. I looked up at the redhead with a brow lifted. "Your shift is already over? That's quick."

"Yup. Heisuke and Saitou is now out on their patrols. Shinpachi is training the men in the courtyard." Hearing how everyone was busy, it made me jealous. My lips formed a sulky pout, annoyed at the restrictions placed over me. "Oh lucky them." A salty remark escaped my lips, earning slight laughter from the men in the room.

That was when Okita Souji thought it was the best time to snub at my misery, "Being discharged of your position as the 5th unit captain and under house arrest? You really amaze me, Aki-chan!" Blankly, I gazed over at the cat-like smirk. "You really do break all the rules. I guess I should be worried that my position as the rebel has been stolen by you."

"Don't be jealous, Souji-kun." I mildly replied. "Who can you possibly blame when I'm just born as a jack of all trades?" I wasn't too bothered by the provocation. Alright, maybe quite a bit. Unconsciously, my shoulders were slumped over in despair. No, I wasn't upset by Souji. Mind you, it would take him a few more years to actually have me get truly affected by him, especially when I have known him for years. I just don't appreciate being on a lockdown and wings clipped down from flying free — it's just a figure of speech.

"Besides, I could probably use this vacation to catch up on my beauty sleep." As if on cue, I had to stifle a yawn and lazily laid on the tatami mats, not minding the two males that were still present. Yamazaki had already abandoned us. Don't ask me when. There's a reason why he was the _ninja_ of the group.

A figure shifted nervously and I half-heartedly glanced over at the redhead. "Sano-kun?" The said male chuckled slightly and strained a smile. "Ah well. You see. Hijikata-san specifically ordered to not let you laze in and perform some odd jobs with Chizuru-chan…?" It came out more of as a question, rather than a statement.

My eye twitched incessantly, my head barely capable of processing the information. To be fair, it was already more than enough that they were keeping me in against my will. I did deserve it, in one way or another. But to dictate over my freedom in the actions I take while being held hostage? Not a really wise decision made. I slowly sat up and raised my head, revealing my forced smile which had Sanosuke paling with understanding. "Say, Souji-kun?" The said male hummed in acknowledgement, his face displaying his interest. His eyes were filled with knowing mischief that patiently awaits a good opportunity to escape. "It's been a while since we've wrecked havoc together. Shall we bring the realm of chaos back into business? I already have the first customer in mind."

No words were needed when you have two matching sinister smirks facing each other.

* * *

 _To be honest, I have forgotten the plot I had for this story since it has been a year ago. But I will try to remember and give a better chapter. For now, I will just delve into the relationships between Akika and the other characters._

Remember to **review** this story if you wish to be a kind soul and lend a hand. And if you like this story then uh.. **like** it. :)

 _ **©YoshizawaAyumu2019**_


	7. Chapter 6

**I do not own any Hakuouki characters. Only Akika and my plot.**

* * *

3rd P.O.V.

Whistling an upbeat tune to herself, the slim female breathed in the freedom that was finally reinstated. Of course, a smug smirk veiled over her attractive face, it was quite a process to finally attain this luxury. Tedious but entertaining, and definitely effective.

 _"Just get your ass out of here before I tie you up and throw you into the deepest depths of the ocean." The gruff voice grumbled, gritting their teeth._

 _"Does that mean I'm free to go out for patrols?" The only response given was a shoe thrown towards the door that was hurriedly slammed shut._

Sanosuke, who Akika have decided to partner for this round's patrol, looked down at the female that was radiating a cheerful aura with his gentlemanly smile, "Are you really that happy, Aki?" His question earned a quizzical look as the said female raised a brow at the seemingly obvious answer to it. "Of course I am, Sano-kun. Free from being restricted in that depressing place and far from dictating naggers, I'm elated." Despite her flat tone that contradicted her words, her green eyes shimmered brightly. The eyes were truly the windows to a person's soul — they really don't lie.

"You're far too excited, kiddo." The redhead mused and pressed his hand down against the female's head, much to her displeasure. Akika waved his hand away from her head, a barely noticeable sulky look settling on her face. "It's because you keep doing that, that's why I can never grow any taller! Shoo shoo, growth hindrance."

"Growth hindrance?" Sanosuke good-naturedly laughed. "That's a new one but don't give me all the credit. It was Shinpachi who was mostly responsible for pressing you down during your early years." Akika simply grunted in acknowledgement since that was in fact true. Sanosuke was just the assistant to take over whenever Shinpachi was not around. But he was still responsible for her short stature.

Turning her attention back towards her surroundings, she pursed her lips as her collected gaze fell upon the fearful looks of the citizens. "Guess the situation has not changed since then, huh? Serizawa was surely our bad omen." Akika looked away from the citizens with disinterest. It was the same old scene that she surely did not miss while being away. "And I doubt that raid on Ikedaya was of much help to restore our reputation."

His lips pursed into a firm line as they walked through the streets, the obvious snide comments about them floating in the air. "Yeah. It was improving slightly- I know it sounds impossible but it actually happened." The redhead sweatdropped at the look of disbelief sent his way. "Anyways, yeah the raid really did a number on their impression on us again. They are much more hostile now and to the point of going out of their way to protect the Chōshū." His expression hardened as his grip on his spear tightened.

"I guess humans are really dumb huh?" Akika's flat tone woke the golden hued male from his tensed form. The disguised female paid no attention and continue to walk forward as her eyes passively scanned the area for any suspicious activities. "Protecting a group of criminals who would not hesitate to burn down the capital and kill them all, how ironic. They are kind of like pigs who willingly stay to be slaughtered."

The pair of golden orbs widened as his feet slowed down, rooted to the ground. His eyes steeled, wiping off the usual traces of gentleness. Upon seeing the other captain suddenly stopped in his tracks, Akika turned back to look at Sanosuke with concern, "Sano-kun?" In a matter of seconds, her left wrist was found locked in Sanosuke's tight grip as the male called for his unit's attention, "Sorry but could you go ahead with your rounds? We will catch up with all of you later." Nodding at the command, the second-in-charge of 10th Division took over and led them to complete their rounds.

Her green hues blankly watched the disappearing backs of the 10th unit before her body swerved to face the serious looking Sanosuke. Debating whether she should call out for his name again, the male resolved her choices by speaking up first. "How did you know about the plan regarding the burning down of the capital? None of us told you about it and Hijikata-san made it clear to not reveal anything to you." Sanosuke's grip on her shoulders tightened as his golden hues pierced through hers, desperately seeking for answers.

Somehow, the ebony haired female could not feel the dull pain inflicted on her shoulders. But rather, the aching pain in her chest was more noticeable at that moment. Without faltering, the female kept up with her poker expression and responded with a similarly serious tone, "Ah. Well you'll get to know it after spending plenty of time in the red light district. That was how I knew about the Ikedaya incident as well. I just needed to tempt them sexually to figure out the root behind the whole action — the geishas and maikos, I mean. I wasn't successful in convincing the Chōshū bastards with the mochi I offered them so I ate them all."

The redheaded male blanked out at the response given, loosening his grip on her shoulders at the same time. "…Come again?" Puzzled, the female simply repeated her words and added on, "It was pretty easy to flirt and fish out information from the geishas and maikos since I have such a pretty face. I should go back soon else they find a replacement that is subpar to my beauty. I'm like a breath of fresh air compared to all those old ugly rogues." The fact that Akika was saying all these with the most stoic expression had Sanosuke relieving the tension within his system as he let out amused chuckles, confusing the female that stood before him. "Have you finally lost it? Should I get Zakizaki for help?" To be frank, Akika was a little creeped by the sudden personality change.

"You're still the same kid I know. Always exceeding my expectations." Sanosuke ruefully grinned and ruffled with her black locks of hair. "Stay the same as always, hm? As repayment, let me treat you to some sweets." Akika blinked and simply nodded, following after the tall male. A melancholic smile appeared on her lips for a brief moment.

* * *

Akika's P.O.V.

Entering the nearest teahouse, Sanosuke told me to wait around as he goes to order a few skewers of dango. Scratching my cheek lightly, I lingered around the entrance, knowing that the sky blue haori was not welcomed. Now that I think about it, Sanosuke and Shinpachi would usually bring me here for some light snacks back then. We would always manage to sneak off and away from Hijikata's radar. Heisuke would usually stick with Ryunosuke who really acted like a dog — it was cute. While Hajime won't stop for desserts, Souji would at least buy one skewer to munch on while performing his duties. It was fun back then.

Tucking my hands into my pockets, I exhaled and looked towards my left, soporific. A sudden chill ran down my spine as goosebumps form along my skin, feeling a familiar piercing gaze from my side. Turning around to look at my right, I jolted back. "Geh!" I yelped and clutched onto the hilts of my swords at the figure next to me before I sweatdropped. The weird looking mask with a weird white mane, along with an entirely weird outfit. The slight peek of blue hair and gold eyes shone under the weird attire. "Shin-ah?" The figure mutely nodded and received a blank look. Pursing my lips, I curled my hand into a fist and slamming it on top of his head, "Make some noise next time!" The quiet male flinched and nodded quickly.

I really thought that my heart was going to leap out. I wasn't expecting to see him or his mask around. Wait — "What on earth are you doing here!?" My eyes nearly bulged out from shock. Shin-ah, without losing his cool, made some weird actions for me to decipher. Blanking out, I cocked my head to the side, "You mean the rest are here too?" A nod.

"Oh… Wait the rest are here!?" I gawked in disbelief as Shin-ah once again gave another nod. Processing the thought, I broke out into cold sweat. That was not good, not good at all. Those people were magnets that attracted attention, not to mention that their levels of stupidity was beyond normality. They weren't bad people, quite the opposite actually. But for them to appear in our little judgemental capital, they might just be volunteering to be tied up to a stake and be burned alive.

A tap on the shoulder was all I needed to regain my composure. Looking back, I saw the hostile look of the redheaded captain directed to Shin-ah. "You know this…person?" Even Sanosuke was reacting badly towards Shin-ah even though he was such a dear. I merely nodded and was about to speak before another familiar voice cut in and sang, "Oh Akika-chan!" My hands were quickly lifted to the lips of a green head. "I missed your beauty so so much! When you left, my heart was greatly torn as I longed for your presence every night." The corners of my lips turned downwards. Why do I attract such oddballs?

* * *

3rd P.O.V.

"So they are a group of entertainers huh?" The 10th Division captain echoed after the female ex-captain who merely sweatdropped and hesitantly nodded as they watched a rather colorful crew boisterously making their way towards their next destination. "They do look queer. I guess that's their selling point huh."

 _Sanosuke walked up to Akika who was kicking the green haired male hard while the stranger moaned in pleasure. "Akika. Who exactly are they?" Akika paused and was about to answer when the green haired perpetrator responded in her stead, "I'm Jae-ha, Akika-chan's lover. Ack-!" The female stomped on his face, cutting him off._

 _"Ah is that…" A more feminine voice interrupted the moment as a few more colorful individuals appeared while Akika gradually looked more defeated. "Akika-chan!" Figuring out that there was no way out of this situation, the ebony haired female nodded in acknowledgement of the newcomers' presence, "Domo [Hello]."_

 _"Ah Akika-chan. Do you know any places where we can stock up our supplies? And it has to be at a cheap price too." A feminine looking male walked up to Akika. The female eased her tensed shoulders and revealed a more friendly smile, nodding. "Of course of course. I know your criteria when it comes to purchasing items, Yoon. There is a shop down the road. You'll just need to walk straight and once you see a divider, turn right. If you want a cheap price," She trailed off and leaned in to whisper into Yoon's ear. The pink haired male blinked a few times then looking at Akika, unimpressed. "Wow, you really are a crappy person."_

 _"How rude!" The female ex-captain dramatically sniffled as a flustered white haired male attempted to comfort her. Sanosuke was beyond surprised. He was used to Akika being more emotionally detached although he was aware that she does have a playful nature with a few of the captains. But the way she had interacted with this peculiar looking group was something that he would never expect from her._

 _Sanosuke was a little disturbed by this meeting though he was not too sure why exactly was he feeling that way. Again, the redhead captain tapped onto the disguised female's shoulder to capture her attention. Forcing a smile, he gestured his hand towards the rambunctious group, "Who exactly are they?" Akika blanked at the question while panicking internally as the mentioned group shared a glance._

 _"Well we are the Dark Drag_ —" _A tall male wielding a glaive spluttered and was suddenly crouching over, wheezing as he clutched onto his abdomen. His companions gave him a mixture of looks between sympathy and nonchalance. "Entertainers! They are just a… travelling group of entertainers. Met them while I was out there and followed them for a while before parting ways." Akika nervously laughed, her eyes darting towards the group with hidden warning. "R-right…we're entertainers!"_

Akika sweatdropped at the flashback and rubbed her nape, "People pay to see rarity so I guess that's not exactly peculiar for people in that business." To her relief, Sanosuke did not doubt nor questioned her any further, simply accepting the odd response. Thankfully, it was time for them to switch their shift with the 8th Division and had left them with no time to delve more into her past companions' appearance. Although, compared to when they had headed out for their patrols, the trip back to the headquarters was stifling — the duo focused on quietly snacking on their nearly forgotten dangos.

As she focused on eating on her sweet, the male gazed at her with a soft expression. "So…" His voice trailed off as he attempted to search for appropriate words. "Was that how your life was when you weren't with us? Travelling with entertainers?" As a response, Sanosuke received a shake of head. His golden orbs observed the hazy green hues that stared at the street ahead.

Akika found herself getting immersed in her memories, her mind blanking out as she allowed her mouth to take over and speak carelessly. "I rarely travel in groups. In fact, they were the only ones that I had joined because we had the same destination and motives. Most of the time, I settled on travelling on my own, taking the most discreet routes." It was a lonely, weary journey for her. It had taken quite a toll on her, especially in terms of her personality. Somehow, somewhere, she had became more distant. Although she was finally visible and within their grasp, it felt like they couldn't reach her. And it seemed that Sanosuke was fully aware of the gap between him and the younger female next to him.

 _| Have you let go of us already? |_

The male smiled gently at the ebony haired female and ruffled her hair, deciding to share a few hilarious occasions within the Shinsengumi while she was absent. Akika listened and gave somewhat appropriate reactions to Sanosuke's attempt to liven up the atmosphere between them. Her green hues then glanced up at the sky and focused on a familiar bird circling above her. Her expressionless face unfaltering despite the slight narrowing of her eyes as her right hand did a subtle hand sign behind her back and away from Sanosuke's view. It seemed that Akika would have to set aside her sleeping hours for the night.

If only they knew, that it was not only them who felt the change. That she too, saw them as unreachable and untouchable. Somehow, the ties that linked them together as body had seemed so strained.

* * *

 _To be honest, I was not planning for Akatsuki no Yona characters to appear as a cameo. I was thinking of an original character but the more I thought, the more it resembled as Shin-ah. Welp, I guess it can't be helped. There will be more original characters to come so I hope that it won't be too confusing._

Remember to **review** this story if you wish to be a kind soul and lend a hand. And if you like this story then uh.. **like** it. :)

 _ **©YoshizawaAyumu2019**_


	8. Chapter 7

**I do not own any Hakuouki characters. Only Akika and my plot.**

* * *

3rd P.O.V.

"Honestly, don't you think that you should change that old bird of yours? It's not really the sharpest tool in the shed, y'know?" A clear voice rang out in the seemingly desolated area. Akika moved towards the center of the empty plot of land, her figure hidden by the dark brown cloak. "It was too obvious."

"It's the cheapest. Plus, it still does its work and you're not caught." A more gruff voice responded. A slight movement from the corner caught her attention as she turned to face the other person. The owner of the voice stepped out from the shadows, revealing his whereabouts. "So stop complaining about the old twitter every time you see it." The male had his arms folded across his chest, a lit kiseru* found between his lips as he bore a grouchy look. He stood at a tall height that could rival Shinpachi, shoulders broad and accompanied with a muscular physique. His hair was colored a dull blonde which matched his eyes.

The female airily laughed and approached the older looking male without an ounce of hesitation. The seemingly tensed situation that the pair had orchestrated was non-existent. "How protective. Must be because the little twitter looks exactly just like you. A little ugly and has a loose screw." Akika beamed brightly without a care, only to receive a hard hit that landed on her head. She yelped and whined a little as she rubbed the bruising area. "Gah! Stop doing that! I'm telling you! The more you do that, the more I won't grow!"

The blonde male ignored the female's angry spat and took the kiseru away from his lips, exhaling the smoke. "Then work on being a good brat that won't incur my wrath every time I meet you." Akika raised a brow and simply mimicked the older male, receiving yet another hit on the head as she cried out in pain. "Rude!"

The tall male set his kiseru aside as he shook his head at the disguised female's antics, proceeding to sit on a large boulder. He wore a serious, troubled expression with his arms folded across his chest, "Anyways, you made me wait too long for you! It has been hours and I didn't even get to have dinner!" Akika deadpanned and threw a heavy bag at the blonde's head. The bag spilled out the food items on the ground as the male gave the female a thumbs up along with a wink. She, in return, jokingly responded with mocking sounds of retching.

"You should consider yourself lucky that I was not on a house-arrest and was outside, Katashi-san. Or else your lame bird would have never spotted me." Akika sat next to Katashi and snatched the rice ball from his hands, munching on it. Katashi gritted his teeth as he clenched his empty hands into balls of fist before sighing in defeat and opting to take another rice ball from the bag. At least she had brought food over, that being something to hold him back from whacking her on the head.

Katashi smirked at the small figure next to him and took a large bite out of the snack, "I wouldn't be surprised that you annoyed them to the point where they had to lock you in." The female had a playful smirk to match the blonde male as she shook her head. "Quite the opposite actually. I annoyed them to the point that they had to chase me out." Her response triggered the man to choke on the food in his mouth before a loud guffaw was heard, replacing the initial shock received. His bulky figure trembled as Katashi struggled to steady his voice from laughing too hard, "A-are you for real? Oh my fuck, explain!" A curl forming at the corner of the female's lips could explain everything that he needed to know.

 _Beginning Stage:_

 _"Nagakura Akika and Okita Souji!" A furious voice bellowed as the mentioned duo were somewhere else snickering at the unfortunate plight of their first victim. Replacing his head bolster with large gunk of mud stuffed in its cover instead? Checked._

 _Second Stage:_

 _The duo high-fived each other after sneaking into the stern purple hued male's quarters and drawing obscene pictures on his stack of untouched papers. Not to mention, using Hijikata's treasured ink stone and not clearing the inky mess splattered on the tatami mat. "Souji and Akika! Get your bloody asses here this instant!" Getting him pissed? Checked._

 _Third Stage:_

 _Akika was calmly eating the dinner prepared as Souji purposefully complimented the brunette female on her cooking. The sudden sounds of gagging interrupted the conversations held among the captains as her green hues watched the suffering Hijikata and Sannan in amusement_ _— the latter only recently added because he was getting on her nerves as well. "Did you not enjoy your meal, Hijikata-san and Sannan-san?" The female with long black locks slightly taunted while batting her eyelashes. "I was told to help Chizuru-san with the meals so I took charge of both of yours." The hostile response received from the two males were a given. Checked._

 _Final Stage:_

 _Souji curled up next to Akika as they lounged around on the veranda. His lips molded into one of a mischievous Cheshire cat as a small book was held between his slender fingers. The female had an identical expression as she plucked the book from his hold and the two rummaged through their personal demon's book of haiku. Deciding on the most cringeworthy haiku that was written by their vice-commander, they began to recite it as loud as they could. Was it mentioned that the veranda they'd chose was pretty close to their target's quarters?_

 _"Girl sat on a swing._ _  
_ _Trying to sing a song for god._ _  
_ _Missing him, not me._

 _…The fuck is this crap?"_

 _The response they sought after was rewarded as the demonic looking male slammed his door wide and chased after the duo who ran around the headquarters while continuing to recite several rather embarrassing haiku. "You guys are dead meat, you hear me!?"_

"Yeah and after that, I was given the favor to leave the headquarters in peace and regain my once lost freedom." The female bowed theatrically while the attentively listening man laughed and clapped in admiration. "As expected of you kiddo. You really are an irritating bugger."

Akika deadpanned at the comment and raised her fist, "Not sure if that's a compliment or an insult but I'll just graciously accept it." Katashi raised his hands up to signal his innocence although the sly smile that played on his lips did not help with his supposed declaration. The female pursed her lips at the older male and raised a brow. She supposed that it was normal for older males to behave like children as she reflected the same thought to the male captains. Heaving a heavy sigh, the female pulled the surprised adult by the ear and threw him — quite literally — to the floor.

The male gaped at the female, dumbfounded before getting irked, raising his fist threateningly. "What was that for!?" The female looked at him quietly before quirking up a brow and pointed at the bandages on his body and hands. Blood was seeping through the white cloth. "Wouldn't want to get those infected, would we?" It was only then that Katashi looked down to where Akika was pointing and noticed the bloody sight as she rummaged out her medical supplies.

Unsurprisingly, a hard bonk on the head and an offended cry broke the silence as the female defensively held onto her head, crocodile tears brimming at the corner of her eyes. "What was that for!?" The response to her outburst was easily predicted, "I would only have bled if you didn't shove me to the ground like that!"

"That's because you're weak and do you want me to change those wrappings or not!?" Another whack, another yelp.

"Of course you have to change them, you brat! You're responsible for this!" An indignant expression was shot towards the blonde male, "Then you shouldn't be hitting me like that!" Yet again, another hit landed on her head.

"I can and will hit you! And you will still take care of my opened wounds!" The male retorted while Akika sulked to herself and rubbed her aching head. "How cruel! You should be acting nicer to me so that I would want to heal you." A dark glare from Katashi dared the girl to say more. Thankfully, Akika knew where the boundaries were drawn and not to overstep the limit. As well as to save her brain cells from being murdered by that steely hand of his.

Silence reigned as the female worked skillfully with the male's wounds. The place they were at was a rather isolated hidden plot of land. If you don't look hard enough at it, you wouldn't have known the place would exist. It was shrouded with dark forest green hedges and decorated with tendrils hanging from the top, blocking out any light from the other side to penetrate through. Akika was amazed that Katashi who has never stepped a foot within Kyoto has discovered this secret hideout in less than a day. Katashi, on the other hand, was surprised that the female could figure out the place he was struggling to describe in his secret letter and especially when his drawing was not much better.

"Are you not going to state your purpose for coming here and calling me out, old geezer?" Her clear voice broke the silence although the words that came out were not appreciated by Katashi. "Ah, could it be that you're finally asking me to bear your children? I would be honored— Geh!" Akika hissed and rubbed her head, though she had to admit that she was expecting the man to hit her. Despite the blonde having figured out her gender, it did not seem to prevent him from getting violent with her — which is mostly her fault to begin with. How he knew her gender? It's an awkward story to tell on another day. You could say that it was original version of the Saito Hajime and the bathroom incident.

"I'm not old, you wrench! I'm at my prime right now, alright? And the answer is no. No matter how many times you ask me, the answer will remain the same." The male closed his eyes, an irked vein bulging visibly at the temple of his forehead. Exhaling softly, he revealed his yellow orbs which conveyed his weary state. "I have a warning so listen carefully, alright kiddo?"

A switch in the atmosphere befell upon both figures. Their once relaxed dispositions erased within a blink of an eye. Akika hummed, signaling that her attention was on him as she slowly kept the medicinal supplies in the sack that she has brought. Katashi spared a glance at her direction as he leaned forward with his legs propped up and elbows rested against his knees. He had troubled look as he pressed his fingers to his lips. "I've been frequently sighting that man around the corner. Y'know the one that randomly provoked us with his blade and toyed with us? Thought he had disappeared off the radar after that last visit from him but it turned out that the bastard is still alive."

 _"What's my purpose, you say?" The disguised figure widened his amused smirk while recklessly swinging his kusarigama** around. "Just making sure that you two don't die till time is up to use you in serving our plans. Simple pawns shouldn't know anything more than this, don't you think?"_

Akika's fingers paused momentarily. A look of wary fleeted across her face. "Is that so?" She mumbled thoughtfully as she proceeded to pack up the items and tie the sack securely. "What if he'd followed you here?"

"That's the thing." His serious voice weighed heavily in the air. "I followed him here." The ebony haired female stiffened subtly, not moving from her position as her green hues stared hard at the ground. "I sent my tweeter out to check if you were within the vicinity like I had speculated." Katashi continued on with his sentence, a frown marring his face.

"He knew I was here and purposely presented himself to you so that you would play your part in his plans." The green hued female caught on the male's message. "Which was to let me know that he was here. He's playing a risky game." Katashi provided her with a firm nod, "Although I absolutely despise being played in his plan, it was better that you still knew about his whereabouts."

The female Nagakura shakily let out a breath, "I understand. Thanks." She raised her head and her eyes stared steadily into Katashi's. The male's larger hand fell gently on her head, rubbing her hair reassuringly. "Don't fret too much, kiddo. You're not alone." His lips quirked upwards subtly as the blonde retracted his hand from the messy black locks, "I've got your back. Plus, I've managed to obtain his name. Or rather, he had purposely divulged it for my ears to hear. He's called Rikuto. White hair and gray eyes. Keep your guard up since he could probably ditch his disguises. I still couldn't figure out the origin of his emblem but I'll do my best."

Akika nodded, "Thanks, Katashi-san. I'll be going out to search as well. If anything, make sure your old twitter of yours knows how to not get shot down or intercepted." A low sigh escaped the male's parched lips. "You really should have more confidence in it."

The two figures stood up from the spot and cast a glance at the sky that bore a lighter shade than the midnight blue from a few hours ago. Katashi dusted his pants and wore his hat, shielding his face from being identified. The blue bird that acted as their messenger settled on his broad shoulder. "I'll be moving towards the West but not too far in case you need assistance." The female rolled her eyes playfully and shrugged her shoulders, "Sure you didn't mean the other way around. I'll be fine, old man."

"Have you told your people about this?" Akika's lips parted at his question yet no voice came out. She pursed her lips together with a slight furrow of her brows. Katashi looked at her knowingly, understanding what her silence meant. "Trust is very fragile. Especially in this chaotic world of ours." The female was uncharacteristically quiet, taking a moment to react to his subtle message with a nod, "Yeah." The female etched a strained minuscule smile on her lip and tossed the sack she held towards him. Instinctively, the blonde male caught it without an issue as she rubbed her nape nonchalantly, "You'll need to stock up."

The tall male looked at the smaller figure and slung the sack over his shoulder, turning to make his exit. "I'll see you around, Akika." The female gazed at his broad back, her hands unconsciously clenched tightly. "Katashi." Her voice stopped the male in his tracks. The said male subtly turned his head, showing that he was all ears to what she needed to say. Although seemingly calm, the female's eyes carried many emotions while she chewed on her bottom lip. "Bring me a bag of sweets the next time we meet." The sentence that she barely uttered out had earned her a slight rueful grin before Akika was left alone. The corner of her lips tugged downwards.

 _| I hope your role in their plans doesn't end after this meeting. |_

* * *

3rd P.O.V.

"That will be all." The torpid voice drawled out as a figure bowed silently before swiftly making his exit while camouflaging himself under the shadows. The man who spoke simply leaned back against his chair with a leg over his other, his hand slowly swirling the alcohol in the porcelain cup. Two males stood at his sides, one lankier than the other.

The lanky figure rested his back against the wall, arms folded across his chest with his right leg propped up. His copper colored eyes narrowed, disgruntled. "How sure can we be to trust him, Kazama?" His scrutinizing orbs landed on the said male who took his time to sip on his alcohol. "Who knows whether he has switched sides and continued with his act in playing allies with us?"

The hunkier figure among the three raised an unimpressed brow at his acquaintance's way. "He has been trustworthy even before taking up his current task. You should lessen your doubts, Shiranui." His cyan orbs clashed against Shiranui's copper ones. "You're giving him too much benefit of the doubt, Amagiri."

The sound of the porcelain cup set against the table broke the eye contact between the two males. The duo glancing at the blonde male whose red orbs sparked mirth. "Like you said, who knows?" Kazama propped his arm on his armrest and rested his cheek on his hand, gazing at the chessboard laid out on the table. "Aren't you curious about that childhood lover of yours, hm?"

Shiranui hardened his eyes and sneered at the words. "It just further proves that he is lying." The grayish-blue haired male clicked his tongue and stalked out of the dimly lit room, not wanting to be further antagonized by his fellow demon allies. "I saw her die with my own eyes. She can't be alive."

* * *

 _*kiseru: a traditional Japanese smoking pipe._

 _**kusarigama: a chain-sickle._

 _Kind of a shame that no one bothers to read Hakuouki fanfictions anymore. It sorts of affect me from writing but I do want to finish the plot. Initially, I wanted to focus on romance but my lack of love life is hindering my romantic creativity. Sighs._

 _Anyways, I know that the handsome captains aren't in this chapter but they will appear in the next!_

Remember to **review** this story if you wish to be a kind soul and lend a hand. And if you like this story then uh.. **like** it. :)

 _ **©YoshizawaAyumu2019**_


	9. Character Information: Maki Katashi

Character Profile

 **Name:** Maki Katashi 牧堅 (堅: hard, firm)

 **Age:** 29

 **Gender:** Male

 **Appearance:**

\- Messy dull blonde hair slicked back.

\- Slightly tanned skin with yellow hued eyes.

\- Scars on his face.

\- White modified kataginu with bandage wrappings around his abdomen and dark green hakama pants.

\- Wrappings around his knuckles.

 **Weapons:**

\- ōdachi

\- Kabutowari

 **Personality:**

\- Rash and short-tempered

\- A sense of dark humour

\- Lazy

\- Blunt and bold, but tactful at times

\- Can be caring despite his violent tendencies

 **Relationship with Akika:**

\- Acts like a grouchy uncle

\- Met each other when Akika was travelling for that particular year.

\- Both share the same target

\- Despite getting violent and aggravated by Akika, he dotes on her the most and values her safety and feelings

 **Nicknames:**

\- Old man (by Akika)

\- Old geezer (by Akika)


End file.
